


But WHAT is the Doctor?

by Dorkangel



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who 1963
Genre: First Flight, Gallifrey, Gen, Jamie being lovely but easily confused, M/M, Macra (kind of), TARDIS - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-06
Updated: 2014-04-06
Packaged: 2018-01-18 10:50:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1425763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dorkangel/pseuds/Dorkangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jamie's easily confused and Ben tries to explain. He obviously fails, and Jamie asks the TARDIS, Sexy herself, to explain. In her wok way, she does, showing the story of the Doctor's first flight from Gallifrey</p>
            </blockquote>





	But WHAT is the Doctor?

**Author's Note:**

> Includes some elements of Two/Jamie.

What is the Doctor?

Jamie ran up to Ben as they walked out of the colony on the planet of the Macra. "Ben," he whispered. "Is it normal for girls to have their hair cut like that in the future?"  
He gestured to Polly, whose hair was short and spiky.  
"What? Oh, yeah. I told you, didn't I? Girls can do whatever men can do."  
"Sorry. She sure looks bonny, but, uh, I've never seen..."  
"Nah, mate. Perfectly normal. She wears trousers half the time too."  
Jamie shrugged, then grinned. "I can't really protest about the trousers, can I?" He gestured to his kilt, and Ben laughed. "I guess not."  
He and Jamie caught up with the Doctor and Polly and went into the TARDIS. "Gosh," she said, smiling. "I'm awfully tired, I'm going to get cleaned up and go straight to bed."  
"Good idea." agreed the Doctor. "You two should do that too." He looked pointedly at Ben and Jamie. "And yes," he finished a bit more quietly (after Polly had gone), knowing that both of them had been in organised military groups. "That was an order."  
He allowed himself a little smile at those reactions. Jamie raised an eyebrow, but pushed it quickly down again and, unfolding his arms, stood a little bit straighter, while Ben quite literally grinned cheekily and saluted. "Yessir!"  
"Aye, if you say so."  
They waited until the Doctor had gone before heading off down their own corridor. "We're no' actually going tae do as he says, are we?"  
"Nah, 'course not. He knows that. Blimey though, wouldn't like him on the bridge when he's in that sort of a mood.  
"We're no' wee bairns for him tae order about."  
"We are to him. He's over 450 years old."  
"What!?"  
"Well, he's not human, is he?"  
Jamie stopped and looked at him. "What d'ye mean he's no' human?"  
"He's an alien. From another planet. He's got two hearts, if you haven't noticed. I mean, when he hugs you, you can hear it, like a double rhythm. 'Bababadum' instead of 'badum'."  
Jamie shook his head. He'd never noticed anything when the Doctor hugged him, other than the temporary warmth and security and intimacy... Ben noticed his deeply confused expression and patted him on the shoulder. "Hey, I'll talk to you tomorrow, ok mate?"  
"Aye. Night."  
Ben turned into his bedroom - which looked suspiciously like a cabin on a ship, and Jamie walked a little further down the long, white corridor to his own room. It was warm and woody, with a surprisingly real fire in one corner, and a set of bagpipes on the table. Like home, thought Jamie, only better.  
He sat down on his bed. If the Doctor wasn't human, what was he? A chilling thought crossed Jamie's mind: he could be one of the fair folk, a faerie. It scared him because the faeries of his childhood stories hadn't been cute or even at all benign. They were evil, sent to trick humans, lure children away from their homes, spoil the little food they'd had...  
No. The Doctor couldn't be like that. Polly and Ben had been travelling with him for a long time, they'd told him, and he'd never tried to trick them or lure them away or anything.  
Jamie bit his lip and glanced up at the ceiling. He knew the TARDIS was all around him, but this was easier. "Umm, hello."  
There was no answer. Obviously.  
"The Doctor isn't human, is he?"  
To his surprise, the TARDIS sighed. "What... No, sorry, WHO is he?"  
The door opened. "Ey?"  
The TARDIS tipped sharply to one side, knocking Jamie to his feet and half out the door. He laughed breathlessly. "Alright! Ye want me tae go outside, I understand!"  
He did, and jumped to see another door facing him directly. He glanced behind him, not expecting to see anything, and seeing nothing. "If this is another swimming pool," he said, waving a finger warningly. "I'll pour the water down yer console."  
The TARDIS made a metallic noise that could be interpreted as a chuckle. He opened the door, to a pretty much blank room, apart from a sofa. Sitting down, he glanced around him again. The door had vanished, and in it's place was a projector, though of course he had no idea what a projector was.  
Jamie jumped again as a stream of light shone across the room and showed the image of a shining city, surrounded by a great glass dome. There was red grass and burnt orange skies and there were three planets in the sky. "Well," he said, in a half chocked voice. "That's not earth."  
The image flicked to a picture of an old man holding the hand of a tiny little girl, running through the city. It was night, and he kept glancing around him furtively. "Grandfather!" she cried, and he turned around and snapped unexpectedly. "Susanadrotavirla! Shush!"  
She looked on the verge of tears, and his expression softened. He stopped, kneeling so he was down at her level. "I'm sorry, Susan."  
"I can't keep up."  
"I'm sorry, but we have to go."  
"Why? Tomorrow I was going to join the academy."  
"That's why." He reached forward and pulled her into an embrace. "I don't want you to have to go through that."  
He lifted her in his arms, and continued running until they arrived at the base of a tower. "Susan," he whispered, even more nervous out in the open. "Wake up. We have to find our Space/Time machine, it's on the top floor."  
"Time And Relative Dimensions In Space," she recited dutifully. "That's a long name, Grandfather."  
"So is Susanadrotavirla."  
"Yes, but we shortened that to Susan. Can't we shorten it?"  
"How about you think of a name while we go upstairs?" asked the old man hurriedly as he noticed two severe looking people, both in red robes like his granddaughter, round the corner.  
They hurried up the many steps, little Susan jumping some. About half way up, she stopped. "I'm tired already, Grandfather. Do we have to go?"  
He paused, poised halfway between a step. "Don't you want to see the universe, Susan? See the stars shining, up close. Imagine going to another planet, imagine a different coloured sky. What about the grass?It might be... I don't know, green!"  
She giggled, and he took her hand again. "Now, would you rather be going to the boring old academy, or be seeing the universe? I can show you the whole universe, I promise."  
"Alright, Grandfather."  
They ended up on the top floor, gazing at a row of silver boxes.  
Susan cocked her head to one side. "TARDIS." she said slowly. "From the initials: Time And Relative Dimension In Space, T, A, R, D, I, S. TARDIS."  
Her grandfather smiled down at her. "But which TARDIS?" he murmured, then seemed to decide suddenly and stride towards one on the left, ready to begin their new life...  
When he was interrupted by a young looking lady leaning against the TARDIS next to that one. She had dark hair and a funny turned up nose. "Doctor." she said simply. "You're making a mistake."  
"Yes, what is it? What mistake?"  
"Don't take that one, take this one. Navigation system's knackered, but you'll have way more fun."  
She smiled at little Susan, then moved aside a little, letting them pass. "I didn't see anybody." she reassured them.  
The old man looked gratefully at her, then ushered his granddaughter inside. "I won't forget." he promised. The door shut behind him and the lady shook her head. "Run, you clever boy," she whispered. "And remember."  
Inside the TARDIS, Susan smiled, and her grandfather simply leant forward and whispered to the console. "You are quite simply the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

And then the picture flickered out. Jamie wasn't a fool, he recognised the TARDIS, and the name Doctor, and Ben and Polly had told him about regeneration...  
He looked up and smiled at the TARDIS. "Thank ye," he said, not quite understanding, but knowing who the Doctor was.


End file.
